One of my favorite things about FSG is our enchantment with ideas. FSG loves to noodle over, consider, go to the whiteboard, take time to reflect. We love to share and get feedback on our ideas, as well – hence the many white papers available on the Knowledge Exchange section of our website, our webinars, our social media campaigns. But sometimes you just can’t beat a live idea jam.
Last Thursday, we were excited to host New Sector Alliance in our Boston office for a workshop on shared value. New Sector Alliance is a national talent accelerator and capacity builder for the social sector, and several FSG employees are alums of their programs (including me!).
After some dedicated time for networking and mentor meet-ups – many FSGers also serve as consultant advisors to the young nonprofit professionals – we kicked off a fast-paced hour on shared value. We started the program with our newest shared value tool, the motion graphic that explains the concept in a two-minute bite, and a short explanation from Greg Hills about the evolution of the idea of shared value, the earliest foundations of which can be found in the 2002 article “The Competitive Advantage of Corporate Philanthropy.”
FSG Managing Director Greg Hills
We then took a deep-dive on one of our most exciting current cases, soliciting ideas from the young leaders in attendance on ways that a major South American forestry company can promote shared value and ensure future sustainability amidst challenging social and political circumstances. Their insights were spot-on, and exciting for the case team members in attendance.
From left to right: Residents in Social Enterprise Sam Nayman, Colin Murphy, Dimitri Linde
Finally, Justin Bakule took the group through one of our historical cases, a major fast food retailer, and asked them to consider all of the touch points that the business might have with society. In only 5 minutes, the residents were able to generate this thought-provoking list:
- Health and nutrition
- Supply chain sustainability and waste
- Poverty and hunger
- Affordability
- Food deserts
- Workforce development
- Branding
- Efficiency
From there, the group delved into potential interventions in these categories, a conversation that weaved through controversial perceptions, genuine insights, and an exciting understanding of the potential scale of change for a client with such an enormous footprint.
One’s of FSG’s priorities is a growing commitment to the local social sector where FSG employees live and work. We were honored to host the young social sector talent from New Sector, and hope to do so again soon. Thanks for jamming on shared value with us!
